Field hockey is a different ballgame for the girls team at Northern Valley HS
RIVER VALE, N.J. — Success in sports can be a deceptive yardstick. Are championships the sole ingredient that measures greatness? How important is improvement even if no trophies, medals or winning records are involved?
One need only analyze the recent history of the girls field hockey team at Northern Valley High School in Old Tappan to appreciate how levels of the game can and should be interpreted. They went from a team that was winless in 15 games in 2019鈥攜es, that鈥檚 an 0-15 record鈥攖o a 13-senior squad that finished 8-10 this past season and barely missed qualifying for the state playoffs even though they had beaten several rivals that made the cut.
Yes, it was disappointing for the players, Coach Amanda McCarthy notes of being shut out of the more glamorous post-season poobah. But for McCarthy, completing only her second year as a head coach at Northern Valley, success can be measured in building significant long-range markers on many levels.
Just ask some of the players, many of whom came to Old Tappan as ninth graders with so little knowledge of field hockey that a set of rules had to be mailed to them and their parents as part of the initiation process.
鈥淚t felt like a lot of hard work,鈥� said Eleanor Wiesner, a senior player from Old Tappan, who endured the learning curve starting with her freshman exposure. 鈥淲e as freshmen went four years as a team, and the seniors were united and knew each other well.鈥�
Gloria Wiesner, Eleanor’s mother, knew nothing about field hockey when her daughter signed on.
鈥淢ost of the parents learned as their girls were learning,鈥� Gloria said.
Jeanine Siek was familiar with field hockey. An Old Tappan resident and sports enthusiast, she played in her freshman and sophomore years at NVOT decades ago just as her aunt had played earlier at Bergenfield High School. Her daughter, Kaitlyn, could see the friendly dynamic that existed on this year鈥檚 NVOT team.
鈥淚t felt like we were all connected,鈥� Kaitlyn said.
Field hockey has a long history, with versions going as far back as ancient Egypt, Persia and Greece. The modern game began in England in the mid-1800s, was played in the 1908 and 1920 Olympics, dropped in 1924, reinstated in 1928 and expanded as a gold-medal sport for women at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Title IX helped swell the female numbers among ages six and older to 1.46 million players by 2018.
Amanda McCarthy was a teacher in Cresskill for six years and served as an assistant junior varsity coach at NVOT for three years. She credits a love for field hockey and an understanding husband with helping her handle the delicate multi-tasking of coaching and motherhood during the last two years.
鈥淟ast year, when my son Cole was only a few months old, it was tough,鈥� McCarthy said. 鈥淚 have a very supportive husband who watched our son while I went to practices.鈥�
Building on last season鈥檚 strides is McCarthy鈥檚 next challenge. She would like to introduce a camp and spring clinics that will familiarize Northern Valley middle schoolers before they arrive at NVOT.
鈥淵ou can play soccer when you鈥檙e three,鈥� McCarthy said of that sport鈥檚 head start in attracting potential talent. 鈥淔ield hockey is a different ball, a stick, learning something different than picking up soccer when you鈥檙e a toddler.鈥�
But the NVOT program has grown, with so many eager players last season, 45, that they ran out of uniforms. 聽聽
The sport has multiple attractions beyond the ten players and goalkeeper who are on the field.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a unique sport,鈥� McCarthy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not something you grow up playing like soccer. Everyone comes in with no experience, and it鈥檚 all about building confidence and changing the culture to a winning culture.鈥�
McCarthy resigned her teaching position and has a part-time job with a technology company that allows for a more flexible schedule. 鈥淕rab the momentum” will be a theme for sustaining last season鈥檚 turnaround with active age-group programs and parental involvement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a challenge鈥� McCarthy said on the departure of so many seniors. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e up to the challenge.鈥�
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